Speed of trucks on the motorway these days

What I've noticed is an increased incidence of pairs of trucks travelling side-by-side, for seemingly long distances, on a slight gradient.

They haven't. Just bought a new car in the last 3 months?

BULLSHIT. According to the speed readout on my Satnav, I've not driven a truck capable of doing over 56MPH on the flat for two years and as a temp driver, I don;t just drive one vehicle.

Nope. And the speed limiters work exactly the same as before.

"Devinpa" wrote

,,,,has the speed

No, your speedometer is inaccurate.

Especially on the 2-lane A1, which causes massive tailbacks. Actually, it's always been like that.

The message from "Malcolm Stewart" contains these words:

That appears to be 'cos one of them has his governor set ever so slightly faster than the other. Probably well within the range of tolerance, quite possibly accountable for simply by tyre wear changing the circumference of the wheel.

Anyway - one of them can do X mph with his foot on the floor letting the governor do the work. The other finds he can do x+0.2 MPH and does so not because it's appropriate but because it's easier than thinking.

Whatever. Give the truckers a break, it's difficult enough to maneuver such monsters.

No, but I think the average level of aggression/bullying tactics has, or the brain power has gone down - probably the former.

I've no problem with leaving trucks room to manouvre, or giving them plenty pf room when I'm joining the motorway.

I do have a problem with tailgating, light flashing etc when motorway traffic speeds are slow anyway, and there is clearly nowhere to go. Especially on sheet ice with very little grip, and in torrential rain.(and no, I don't hog the middle lane).

Do they know that if a car is being followed/tailgated by a truck, and he puts his headlights on full the width of the truck means that each headlamp reflects nicely from each car door mirror into the drivers eyes, or is it blind stupidity that makes them do this?

And with trying to move over into lane 3 (yes, 3!) while I'm overtaking (observe the southbound approaches to M6 J9 and the M6/M5 turnoff one day and you will see what I mean)

W****i B***z and S*tt**s are among the worst offenders, European drivers seem to be the most careful (Apart from W****i B***z of course)

Thank you. Again :-))

Steve

Didn't we do this one a few months ago? ISTR Guy said he'd checked his speedo and it was reasonably accurate and he'd noticed lorries travelling faster than 56. Is it just HGVs or are 7 tonners limited too? I ask because there was one doing an indicated 70 on the M5 this evening.

Speed limiters start at 7.5 tonnes. Except for the Irish of course.

Of course speed limiters work by shutting off the fuel when you reach your set speed, if you're going downhill there's nothing the limiter can do about gravity, which is why approaching the bottom of a steep hill you may see A, trucks doing about 75mph, at least until they start to go uphill again, and B, Some trucks with the brake lights coming on to make sure they stay legal.

The reason for B is that some trucks have a device which not only records speed like a tachograph, but also give you a black mark if you over-rev it, brake hard etc, triggered by the G forces. It can apparently also tell when you're breaking any other speed limit, not just the 56. Clock up more than X points and you're grassed up before you even get back to the yard. Right now I wish I could remember what the thing's called.

Steve

"shazzbat" wrote

if you're going downhill there's nothing the limiter can do about

We call this "Scottish Overdrive" ;-)

The message from "Malc" contains these words:

There do seem to be a few who are able to go considerably faster than the pack. A while ago I was in a block of lorries all doing the 56mph thing. I was staying left 'cos it was busy and I needed to take the next exit and didn't want to have to fight my way into it later. All the trucks were doing more or less the same speed except one, a big artic like the others, which was overhauling the lot of them quite rapidly. British registration, too.

Similar thing tonight on the M62 heading toward Liverpool. I'm in lane 2 passing at a fairly steady busy 60ish indicated, and gaining on each wagon slowly which would suggest 56 in lane one.

Then, a mobile crane suddenly indicates and rapidly swings to the hardshoulder. The wagon and trailer directly behind just accelerates up to the truck in front like it was standing still.

Not bad for a limited vehicle.

No they're not.

Don't you meant the 'Aberdeen overdrive'? This of course involves sticking it into neutral at the top of the hill, to lessen the drag!

Allow longer time for your journey.

It's because you drive like an 80 year old.